While fans were disappointed when Missy Higgins postponed the Canberra leg of ‘The Second Act Tour 2024’ due to ill-health earlier this year, turns out it was well worth the wait.
Australia’s indie-pop sweetheart took the sold-out crowd at Canberra Theatre last night (7 August) on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, making us laugh with her hilarious, self-deprecating banter and feel all the feels thanks to her mostly autobiographical song-writing genius.
Entering our national consciousness as a teenager winning Triple J’s Unearthed competition in 2001, Missy Higgins’ virtuoso performance spanned songs written in her school years to those penned as a recently divorced, 40-year-old mother of two young children.
She delivered almost three hours of her original music, often solo on guitar or keyboard, at times accompanied by a lone cellist, or up to seven musicians and back-up singers in ‘the second act’ (which happens to be the name of her upcoming album).
Throughout the first act, Missy Higgins wore the ‘blue velvet dress’ referenced in the song of the same name, a deeply personal insight into that life-changing day she and her then-husband split. Like the dress, her voice was lustrous and smooth, reflecting light and shade, while her songs traversed the spectrum from a fun jazz piece penned for a high school assignment to the heartache of her marriage breakup, and the fear and excitement of starting a new chapter in a life that hasn’t quite gone according to plan.
After a 20-minute intermission, the beloved star returned in a killer white fringed jacket and shorts combo with boots to deliver every track on ‘The Sound of White’, celebrating the 20th anniversary of her ARIA Award-winning debut studio album.
A highlight was Missy Higgins leaving the crowd to carry the chorus of ‘Scar’, word perfect and in tune, as she smiled at us in appreciation.
While admitting her song-writing is a way to process her emotional response to life experiences, she speaks a universal truth; “… doesn’t that sound familiar? Doesn’t that hit too close to home?”. Anyone with a heart and/or soul who has ever experienced loss or heartache can relate.
When it came to the audio-visuals, a sound glitch in the first song was quickly sorted, while the lighting and visuals perfectly complemented each song without distracting from the main attraction.
Canberra crowds are sparing with our standing ovations, and the appreciative audience stood in unison last night. Missy Higgins is a consummate live performer. I, for one, can’t wait to see what the second act holds for her.
Missy Higgins performed to a sold-out crowd at Canberra Theatre on Wednesday 7 August 2024.
